The present invention relates to a simulated smoking article and devices, and, more particularly, to non-combustible simulated smoking devices which include a flavor releasing material and/or aerosol generating material which is volatilized by air which has been heated by a contained exothermic chemical reaction.
Various proposals have been made to provide a simulated smoking article which provides a tobacco taste without the combustion of tobacco.
These prior art proposals are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 726,037 issued on Apr. 21, 1903 to H. Ferre; U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,638 issued on Nov. 18, 1958 to F. Bartholomeo; U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,692 issued on Oct. 8, 1968 to A. Lampert; U.S. Pat. 4,149,548 issued on Apr. 17, 1979 to John C. Bradshaw; U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,089 issued on Aug. 18, 1981 to Jon P. Ray; U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,884 issued on July 19, 1983 to Allen W. Jacobs; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,191 issued on Oct. 2, 1984 to Pierre G. Steiner.
U.S. Pat. No. 726,037 teaches a inhaler having two elongated receptacles in side-by-side relationship inside a cylindrical sleeve. The receptacles are filled with cotton or other porous material. The porous material in one receptacle is an aqueous solution of, for example, hydrochloric acid and the porous material in the other receptacle is an aqueous solution of, for example, ammonium carbonate. When a person sucks on one end of the sleeve, air is drawn in separate streams through the cotton in each receptacle producing vapors which combine in a chamber in the sleeve downstream of the carbon filled receptacles to form a white vapor simulating smoke.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,638 teaches a smoking device (simulated) having a cylindrical member with a mouthpiece at one end. A tubular capsule is positioned inside the cylindrical member. The capsule is filled with cotton which is saturated with concentrated taste components, for example, nicotine. To use the device, holes are pierced in the upstream and downstream ends of the capsule. Thus, when a person sucks on the mouthpiece, air is drawn through the capsule and picks up the tobacco flavorant and carries it to the user's mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,692 teaches a simulated cigarette inhaler device having a cylindrical sleeve which is closed at one end and has a mouthpiece at the other end. The cylindrical sleeve is filled with an absorbent material, such as cotton, which is saturated with tobacco extract. To use the device, a hole is made in the stored end of the sleeve and when a person sucks on the mouthpiece, tobacco extract is drawn into the mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,548 teaches a simulated cigarette device having a central cylindrical sleeve fabricated of pliable plastic with cylindrical end portions of a plastic coated with an edible material. The central cylindrical sleeve is divided by a rupturable septum into two compartments. One compartment is filled with a water solution of hydrochloric acid and the other compartment is filled with a water solution of sodium hydroxide. The end cylindrical portions are filled with either water or a metal. When the central cylindrical sleeve is distorted as by bending or compression, the septum ruptures allowing the hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions to mix resulting in a exothermic reaction which heats the water or metal in the cylindrical coating and portions which heats the edible material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,089 teaches a simulated cigarette device which includes a cylindrical container filled with absorbent material saturated with a nicotine mixture. The absorbent material has a center channel therethrough. When air is sucked through the absorbent material it picks up nicotine and delivers it to the user's mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,884 teaches a simulated cigarette device which includes a cylindrical tube with a pressurized cylinder of flavorant material located therein. A spring located valve device opens and closes an outlet at the end of the pressurized cylinder to selectively allow the flavorant material to flow out of the pressurized cylinder and into the user's mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,191 teaches a smoking device shaped like a cigarette having a cylindrical envelope of non-combustible ceramic. Tobacco is enclosed in a chamber concentrically located in the envelope. Channels extend along the tobacco chamber between the tobacco chamber and cylindrical envelope. Tobacco simulating substances are deposited within the channels.